Salt and Sea
by GryffindorCriss
Summary: "The human had fallen from his boat during the sudden storm, so taken off guard that he had struggled to swim against the current." (OR: a Newtina Mermaid!AU)


**I don't even know what this is, please don't shoot me :p This is for Week 2 of the Newtina Appreciation Week on tumblr, the theme being "AU"!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy, even if it is a little messy!**

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The human had fallen from his boat during the sudden storm, so taken off guard that he had struggled to swim against the current; Tina had watched from deep below, holding herself back – there was no guarantee of what kind of human he would be, what he would say or do. At first, he seemed to stay afloat, keeping his head above the water as the rain lashed down violently; she had thought he would be fine after this, that she wouldn't need to intervene after all.

But then he started to sink, bubbles escaping from his mouth as he uselessly attempted to kick his way back to the surface – he was running out of oxygen, drowning in front of her.

Tina didn't think twice after this; without a second thought, she swam towards him and slipped her hands under his arms. He seemed to be unconscious, not reacting to her at all, and she felt panic run through her; she had to get him to land, back to where he belonged – she couldn't let him die.

Swimming to the surface was less difficult for her than a human, her tail propelling her through the water and against the current so easily that it was like flying; the human was a light weight in her arms, motionless and silent. She could feel his heartbeat, however, could feel how warm and _alive_ he was – she wasn't too late, she _could_ save him if she worked hard.

The shore wasn't far at all, though the weather did make it admittedly difficult to swim as fast as usual; making sure to keep the human's head above the water, she started to make her way towards the beach. She could only hope that he would regain consciousness once she got him to land, that some of his kind would find him and help him properly.

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He still hadn't begun breathing by the time they reached the shore, much to her dismay; the only saving grace was that the storm seemed to be moving away now, the rain stopping and the clouds parting to allow some light sunshine. Tina struggled to manoeuvre the human onto the sand of the beach, her tail flipping uselessly as she left the water and laid him down. The man didn't wake, his mouth pursed open and eyes closed tightly; when she pressed her fingers to his neck, she felt a faint pulse – still alive, thankfully, but not for long unless she did something.

There was only one thing for it – she had seen humans do this when she watched from afar, and though she didn't quite understand why it worked, it was worth a try.

The mermaid leaned down over the man, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips against the human's; the air in her lungs was a slightly stale kind, not quite the same that a human would have, but it would do the trick for now. After a long moment, she felt the human stir beneath her; drawing away to look down at him, she saw him straining in her arms as he attempted to inhale his own air, chest starting to rise and fall.

"It's alright," Tina murmured to him quietly, pushing several strands of wet hair from his face. "You're safe now."

The man gave a soft groan, turning his head toward her; slowly, his eyes started to flutter open, and he had to blink a few times as he attempted to take everything in. To her surprise, he had the most _beautiful_ eyes she had ever seen; it was a colour she could not quite place, a greenish-blue with so much depth. He was handsome too, she noticed now, sun-tanned skin covered in numerous freckles and a strong jawline covered in red stubble. Mindlessly, she trailed a finger over it and continued to take him in with slight curiosity and awe.

Meanwhile, Newt's eyes had started to focus now as he blinked the salt water from his eyes, and he found himself gazing up at a young woman – and he was immediately taken aback by her beauty; dark hair, pale flawless skin, the brightest brown eyes he had seen. She was unlike anything he had ever seen before, unlike even the loveliest girls he had admired in his town.

"Hello," He managed, at a loss for words.

The woman smiled – such a beautiful smile! – back at him, somewhat shyly. "Hi."

"You…You rescued me?" He asked hoarsely. "The last thing I remember is….is being thrown from my boat…"

"Yes, you were drowning," She informed him. "I brought you to shore."

"Well, thank you for saving my life," Newt told her, giving her a small crooked grin. "Miss…?"

The woman hesitated before answering, as if uncertain of how to answer. "Tina. My name's Tina."

It sounded so lovely when she said it, Newt mused, now gathering more of his bearings. He was about to speak again, wanting to know more about this mysterious young woman who had rescued him – but as he opened his mouth, there was a loud cry from down the beach.

"NEWT! Newt, are you out here?!"

Suddenly the woman was pulling away from him, leaving him as he struggled to sit up properly. He recognized the voice as belonging to his brother, and so he called out, "Yes! Yes, Theseus, I'm over here!"

He turned back to speak to the woman again, to explain and perhaps invite her out to thank her for saving him – but, to his dismay, she had vanished completely. Looking up and down the beach, he was perplexed to see that there wasn't a sign of her anywhere, not even a footprint – it was as if she had dissolved right in front of him.

"There you are, brother!" Theseus was running down the beach towards him, looking both alarmed and amused. "Only _you_ would end up sailing out to sea in the middle of a storm, Newt, I must say… Are you hurt?" He questioned as he reached him, leaning down to look him over properly. "Do you think you'll need a doctor? How much sea water did you swallow?"

Newt ignored his brother's questions, shaking his head. "No, I'm fine…Theseus, did you see a young woman here by any chance?"

"A young woman?"

"Yes. This beautiful woman was just here, she…she saved me, swam me back to shore just now. She's gone."

Theseus looked absolutely bewildered. "I haven't seen any young women at all – and any young women who are out in _this_ weather would have to be mad. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," Newt insisted sincerely. "She was just here, Theseus; she was the most stunning girl I've ever seen, the most wonderful smile…her name was Tina, that was what she told me."

His brother raised a brow, slipping an arm under the younger man's shoulders and helping him into a standing position. "I think you must have bumped your head during the storm, little brother – you probably hallucinated that 'woman'."

"But I didn't, she was _real_ – I felt her fingers on my face, she…she gave me air to breathe-"

"You sound absolutely barmy," Theseus huffed as they started to walk. "Come on, let's get you home before you start to hallucinate any more beautiful young girls; you probably need a good night's rest after this."

But Newt _knew_ it wasn't a hallucination – it had been far too real to be one, and he didn't think even _he_ was capable of dreaming up someone so perfectly lovely. No, the girl was real, he was certain of it.

He just hoped he could find her again.

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 **I'm sorry this is so short, I'm hoping I'll continue it someday – I just wanted to contribute something! :D**

 **Don't forget to leave reviews, I LIVE on them!**


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